Gas-powered vehicles gather momentum

The Government is coming under growing pressure to stimulate the market for gas-powered vehicles by slashing fuel duty on compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Proponents of both fuels argue that urban air quality could be improved greatly by such a move, although claims that gas vehicles offer significantly lower emissions of greenhouse gases than conventional fuels are less clear-cut. Over the next five years, suppliers of CNG and LPG are aiming to gain a toehold in the market by introducing fleets of public transport and delivery vehicles in urban areas - and British Gas harbours ambitions to use the resulting infrastructure as a launchpad into the passenger car market.